Accounting Manager; Real Estate

SVA is looking for a Manager to join our Real Estate team in Brookfield, WI. This is the opportunity you have been looking for! You will benefit from continuous learning through client‑facing interactions and share your knowledge of how accounting impacts the business world with our more junior staff. Collaborate with an accomplished and diverse team of professionals and enhance your career with personalized development and mentoring opportunities.

Demonstrate your expertise and leadership skills while building your career in an independent and growing professional services firm that has been certified as a Great Place to Work®!

The Manager acts as the liaison between the principals, the client, and accounting staff and is generally responsible for all phases of moderate to complex assurance and tax engagements for affordable housing and real estate clients, including Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) entities. Managers are expected to promote the most efficient operation of SVA by using their talents and staff management abilities to project and plan workflow.

They make broad decisions in the course of their work, including using their knowledge of general economic and political trends and of possible tax or other legislation that could affect the business climate. Managers are expected to develop expertise in LIHTC compliance, partnership taxation, affordable housing reporting, and related regulatory requirements.

• Execute affordable housing and LIHTC audit and tax engagements from start to finish by coordinating all phases, including planning, field work, review process & communication to client.
• Follow the progress of the work during an engagement in relation to budgeted time expenses and scheduled dates of completion. Determine whether all phases of the engagement are carried out properly and in the best sequence, to anticipate the problem areas and questions that will arise.
• Supervise the preparation of all work products to be provided to the client.
• Maintain continuous contact with clients, including developers, ownership groups, management companies, syndicators, and nonprofit organizations, throughout the business year while developing a strong understanding of their operations and compliance requirements.
• Act as main contact for new client onboarding.
• Evaluate internal controls prepared by the staff.
• Keep the In‑Charge informed of important developments in the work. Communicate any major problems that occur with all the facts, their conclusions and recommendations.
• Prepare monthly billings.
• Maintain confidentiality with client information in accordance with related laws and regulations and adhere to all SVA policies and procedures.
• Ensure all duties are performed efficiently, and to a satisfactory level, typically requiring 55 hours/week during busy season (including weekends), and 40‑45 hours/week during non‑busy season.
• Advise clients on affordable housing compliance and reporting matters, including HUD, RD, and state housing agency requirements where applicable.
• All other duties as assigned.

• Assign work to staff members on the basis of their knowledge and capabilities.
• Prepare and discuss staff performance evaluations.
• Participate in the training of staff members; offer guidance and direction and give constructive feedback of work papers.
• Effectively lead others, and be actively involved with staff development, take ownership of staff engagement and retention. Conduct stay interviews and work with leadership to resolve any themes.
• Identify need for staff recruitment, actively participate in interview panels.
• As appropriate, transfer the client relationship to junior staff to ensure the right work is being performed at each level.
• Identify poor/low performers. Have difficult/direct conversations to manage those individuals up/out with a focus on retaining qualified and quality staff members.
• Provide individualized and meaningful recognition to staff members. Focus on intrinsic rewards.
• Ensure career pathways “heatmaps” of direct reports are accurate and reflective of the work performed. Have documented, yet evolving, career plans in place for…